Ethical Principles and Publication Policy

 

The Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. The journal follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and requires adherence to the following principles:

1.1 Authorship
  • Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
  • All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.
1.2 Originality and Plagiarism
  • Submissions must be original and not previously published or under review elsewhere.
  • Proper citations are required for all referenced material.
  • Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited and will lead to rejection or retraction.
1.3 Data Integrity
  • Authors must ensure the accuracy of the data presented.
  • Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is considered unethical.
1.4 Conflict of Interest
  • Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.
1.5 Ethical Approval
  • Research involving human participants or animals must have ethical approval from a recognized committee.
  • Authors must include a statement of ethical compliance in their manuscript.
1.6 Informed Consent
  • Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants in studies involving human subjects.

2. Publication Policy

2.1 Peer Review Process
  • All submissions are subject to a double-blind peer review process.
  • Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and are expected to provide constructive and unbiased feedback.
2.2 Open Access Policy
  • SJMPH follows an open access policy, allowing unrestricted access to published articles for readers worldwide.
2.3 Retraction Policy
  • Articles may be retracted if ethical violations, such as plagiarism or data manipulation, are identified after publication.
2.4 Appeals and Complaints
  • Authors may appeal editorial decisions. Complaints regarding the editorial process should be directed to the editorial board for review.
2.5 Post-Publication Corrections
  • Corrections to published articles will be made when errors affecting the interpretation of data or conclusions are identified.

3. Responsibilities

3.1 Authors
  • Ensure the manuscript complies with the journal's ethical standards.
  • Provide all necessary details for reproducibility and transparency of research.
3.2 Reviewers
  • Maintain confidentiality of the review process.
  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively and provide detailed feedback.
3.3 Editors
  • Ensure a fair and transparent review process.
  • Uphold publication ethics and address ethical concerns promptly.

4. Misconduct Handling

  • Suspected ethical misconduct will be investigated by the editorial board in accordance with COPE guidelines.
  • Appropriate actions will be taken based on the severity of the misconduct, including contacting the authors’ institution or retracting the publication.